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Monday, August 6, 2018

While we were in Cincinnati, we took the opportunity to explore Findlay Market, which is like our Strip District. Lots of food shops and other shops in one area. Waffles, gelato, fresh meats and seafood, cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared foods, teas, chocolates, a biergarten. All the shop people we spoke with were really friendly, especially the husband of The Beautiful Bags Lady who talked Dr. Who with SP for a while (we were drawn into the shop by the inflatable dalek outside on the sidewalk). SP left the store with a Dr. Who cotton grocery bag.

It wasn't super busy when we were there because it was a Friday morning. After taking a walk around, we decided to check out The Rhined for cheese.

As soon as you walk in, there is a case of cheese. Yum. We asked about our favorite cheeses from our time in France but they didn't have them. We did sample some similar cheese and then we decided to do a tasting.

The shop is accessible to enter, but there is a step up into the main area. However, there is an alley to the side of the building that takes you back to the rear off the shop and a patio area. It was a very cute and secluded patio area and we enjoyed looking at the old brick of the buildings and this window in a nearby building - it looked like the bottom of the window was a board of wood.

We decided to share The Mid-West Cheese Flight (close to Cincinnati cheeses). Each flight includes 3 cheeses of various textures and milk types, local jam, dried fruits, and house candied pecans, and
crostini. We also shared a glass of rosé . It was a little early, but we were on vacation.

From left to right, there was a goat cheese with vegetable ash, which was quite tasty. The middle cheese is a creamy brie-like cheese with habanero in the middle. At first it didn't seem too hot, but then it kicked in. I liked the contrast of cool, creamy cheese with the heat from the pepper, but it's not a cheese I would buy because it was bit much for me. The cheese on the right was like a comte cheese and was our favorite of the 3 cheeses.

It was a tasty post-breakfast/pre-lunch snack. The girl working that day was really friendly and helpful. They also offer charcuterie and from Tuesday-Friday and on Sunday they offer several grilled cheese sandwiches. Plus wine and beer. I wish we'd been hungrier to try another cheese flight and some charcuterie, or even a grilled cheese. Next time.

After The Rhined, we walked around some more, and the market was getting busier as lunch time approached. We bought some teas at Churchill's Teas and checked out Eckerlin Meats where we learned about goetta, which is meat-and-grain sausage primarily composed of ground meat (pork, or pork and beef), oats and spices. It was originally a peasant dish, meant to stretch out servings of meat over several meals to conserve money, so it's kind of like Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple, but instead of cornmeal it has oats. The ingredients are smushed into a loaf and then sliced, you fry it, and enjoy. We bought 4 slices to take home in our cooler. SP likes it, me, not so much because of the oats. But I'm glad I tried it. It's a Cincinnati thing, like our chipped ham bbq.